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Roman Empire (DM)
The Roman Empire, also referred to in a derogatory fashion as the Byzantine Empire, was the successor state to the Roman Republic, both to the Muggle and wizarding communities. It was first established by Octavian Caesar Augustus, who would become the first person to possess the mantle of the universal monarchy since the fall of the Al-Antidian Empire millennia ago. The Empire was temporarily divided into two administrative halves during the Tetrarchy, and while they would unite once more, they would become divided once again after the death of Theodosius I, when the east and west were given to his sons - Arcadius and Honorius. The final union of east and west would take place after the fall of Rome, during which Eastern Emperor Zeno would become the first of an unbroken line of Roman Emperors, at least until the fall of Constantinople at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, and the death of Constantine XI Palaiologos. Both in the muggle and wizarding worlds, the Imperial Throne would remain empty, although there were legitimate heirs of Constantine XI who could have claimed the vacant throne. Instead, a regency council was created in the wizarding world, and would continue to exist until the last decade of the 20th century. The Roman institutions would be semi-revived in the muggle world after the Nicaean Revolution, in which the Roman Imperial State of Constantinople was founded, although the title of Emperor was not claimed by its rulers, instead using that of Co-Regent. This however, lasted only for a small period of time, as the empire was reformed after the Greek War of Independence, in which Alexios I of Nicaea assumed the Greek throne and declared the Empire restored. Government and bureaucracy In the Roman state, the emperor was the sole and absolute ruler, and his power was regarded as having divine origin. The Senate had ceased to have real political and legislative authority but remained as an honorary council with titular members. By the end of the 8th century, a civil administration focused on the court was formed as part of a large-scale consolidation of power in the capital (the rise to pre-eminence of the position of sakellarios is related to this change). The most important administrative reform, which probably started in the mid-7th century, was the creation of themes, where civil and military administration was exercised by one person, the strategos. Despite the occasionally derogatory use of the terms "Byzantine" and "Byzantinism", the Roman-Byzantine bureaucracy had a distinct ability for reconstituting itself in accordance with the Empire's situation. The elaborate system of titulature and precedence gave the court prestige and influence. Officials were arranged in strict order around the emperor, and depended upon the imperial will for their ranks. There were also actual administrative jobs, but authority could be vested in individuals rather than offices. In the 8th and 9th centuries, civil service constituted the clearest path to aristocratic status, but, starting in the 9th century, the civil aristocracy was rivalled by an aristocracy of nobility. According to some studies of Roman-Byzantine government, 11th-century politics were dominated by competition between the civil and the military aristocracy. During this period, Alexios I undertook important administrative reforms, including the creation of new courtly dignities and offices. After the fall of the empire in the non-magical world, the wizard half remained in existence, and despite the lack of an emperor, the Anemas family took control of the imperial government and established a regency council, which would remain in place until a new and suitable emperor ascended. As such, the empire became a mixture of an hegemony and autocratic government, with its member regions having their own governments and cultures, but all subject to the will of the Regency Council and its head. These traits remained even after the Imperial office was retaken by Alexios VI Anemas. Despite the emperor's attempts to centralize power, these reforms would only happen during the reign of his brother and successor, Romanos V. Flags and insignia For most of its history, the Roman Empire did not know or use heraldry in the West European sense. Various emblems (Greek: σημεία, sēmeia; sing. σημείον, sēmeion) were used in official occasions and for military purposes, such as banners or shields displaying various motifs such as the cross or the labarum. The use of the cross, and of images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and various saints is also attested on seals of officials, but these were personal rather than family emblems. * Double-headed eagle * Tetragrammic cross Appearances * ''Dominus Mundi'' Category:Roman Empire Category:Eastern Europe Category:Asia Category:Africa Category:Europe Category:Greece Category:Nicaea Category:Constantinople Category:Rome Category:Empires Category:Governments Category:Magical governments Category:Imperial governments Category:Autocracies Category:Dominus Mundi articles